Cats & Coffee: Reconnecting with the Cats

Good morning and welcome to "Cats & Coffee," a weekly segment, presented by Koffee Kult, in which we serve up an exciting look at what's on deck for your Florida Panthers. Like our friends at Koffee Kult, this forecast serves up only the best -- so sit back, sip and enjoy our latest brew of news, notes and information!
The Florida Panthers are finding new and interesting ways to connect with fans.
While practicing social distancing at home like the rest of us, players have begun to share their stories of life under quarantine through a wide variety of digital platforms. And although there's certainly more to come, we were already treated to some fun and interesting updates last week.

On Mach 30, captain Aleksander Barkov kicked things off by participating an NHL conference call alongside fellow superstars from the Atlantic Division -- Buffalo's Jack Eichel, Montreal's Shea Weber and Tampa Bay's Victor Hedman -- to field questions from members of the media.
From playing video games to working out, Barkov said he's been keeping busy.
"I have a little gym at my house," said Barkov, who had posted 62 points (20 goals, 42 assists) in 66 games before the NHL's regular season was put on hold. "It helps a lot. Obviously there's really good weather here so you can go outside and run. But I've stopped playing tennis since we have to be home all the time. I've been doing something almost every day. It helps a lot."
The following day, Aaron Ekblad shared a video update of his own on Twitter.
"I'm at home right now in Florida, just relaxing," said the Panthers defenseman, who was joined on the video by his adorable and also hilariously vocal dog. "[I'm] trying to enjoy myself while quarantining, trying to stay healthy here with my family. The teammate that I miss the most is probably MacKenzie Weegar. He went back to Ottawa, so I don't get to see him too much."

Soon after that, FOX Sports Florida's Katie Gaus was able to catch up with Mike Hoffman.
"I've got my two dogs and my wife," Hoffman told Gaus in the interview, which @FOXPanthers has broken down into several smaller clips. "We've been spending a lot of time together. I think probably the only two people that have enjoyed this time are the dogs for having us home."
Moving forward, stay tuned for plenty more of these "Inside the Panthers: At Home" videos.

To see what else the Panthers have been doing to reconnect, keep reading below!

SCEVIOUR'S CHECK-IN

Colton Sceviour has been getting in a lot of extra "dad time" these past few weeks.
As part of the new recurring "Cats Check-In" series, the Panthers forward recently gave fans a peek into his new regular routine at home since the NHL went on hold. And although he's been doing some unique things to keep busy, the majority of his day revolves around his son, Declan.
"He has certain things he does during the day like naps and stuff, so we work around that," Sceviour said. "I think he's had a tougher time with practicing social distancing] than we have. It's tough for us, but we can understand."
"He doesn't get why he keeps seeing the same four walls all the time and that's just me and mom. He gets frustrated some days, and there's times where you can tell he wants to do more stuff. We just try and keep him as entertained as possible."
To read the full interview, click **[HERE**.
Also, stay tuned for new "Cats Checks-Ins" every week on FloridaPanthers.com.

VATRANO ON THE KEYBOARD

Frank Vatrano took over the @FlaPanthers account on Twitter for a bit on Sunday.
As Fox Sports Florida's new "Panthers Rewind" series re-aired Florida's thrilling 4-3 win at Chicago back on Jan. 21, Vatrano, who notched the second hat trick of his career that night, manned the keyboard and fired off more than a few personal messages throughout the game.

"I have a feeling there will be some goals scored in the 2nd," Vatrano tweeted with a coy thumbs up emoji, alluding to the fact that all three of his goals were scored in the game's middle frame.
Of course, after lighting the lamp for the third time, Vatrano had to let the hat emojis fly.

Looking ahead, there are a pair of "Panthers Rewind" games on the docket for this week.
On Monday, re-watch Florida's 5-3 win at San Jose from Feb. 17 while sideline reporter Katie Gaus provides new commentary on the @FOXPanthers Twitter account. Then, on Sunday, it'll be Randy Moller manning the keyboard during the team's 4-1 win against Montreal on March 7.
Both broadcasts will begin at 8 p.m. ET. For more information on "Panthers Rewinds," click HERE.
If you're craving even more Panthers-related videos, you can also check out some amazing past episodes of FOX Sports Florida's acclaimed "Inside the Panthers" series by clicking HERE.

STAYING HEALTHY

The Panthers want to help fans stay healthy inside and out during this period of isolation.
Starting with stomachs, the organization recently teamed up with Truly Hard Seltzer to create some "Truly Delicious Recipes" for fans to enjoy both making and eating at home. The first of these recipes can be found below, but stay tuned for more delectable dishes in the near future!

Once you've got some food in you, it's time to burn off those calories with a good workout!
Brought to you by Baptist Health, Panthers Head Strength and Conditioning Coach Mike Donoghue has been creating and sharing some very effective and fun "Workout at Home" videos to help fans stay in shape and be active despite being confined to their living rooms. You can check out the most-recent video below, with new workouts being released each week.

HEARTS AND CRAFTS

Join our friends over at Baptist Health in showing solidarity during these difficult times.
To honor healthcare workers fighting COVID-19 on the front lines, fans are encouraged to show their support by decorating paper hearts, displaying them outside their homes and then posting a photo on social media tagging @BaptistHealthSF and using #HeartsForHealthcareWorkers.
Let's show our appreciation for those protecting the Territory!

CATS CLIP OF THE WEEK

In these unprecedented times, the Panthers and South Florida community stand together. We are One Territory.

CATS IN THE COMMUNITY

TERRITORY TALK

Former Jr. Panther Chase Priskie achieved a lifelong dream when he was traded from Carolina to Florida at the NHL's Trade Deadline in February. On last week's episode of the Territory Talk podcast, the 24-year-old defenseman detailed his journey, discussed his future and much more!

COLD COFFEE (IN CASE YOU MISSED IT)

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Frank Vatrano had some fun while live-tweeting his hat trick in Chicago. 
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In the first entry in the new "Taking Off" series presented by JetBlue, Panthers prospect Max Gildon talks about his decision to turn pro and what he expects to find at the game's next level. 
-- What's Aleksander Barkov been up to recently?
Find out here! 
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Fellow goalies told some great stories during Roberto Luongo's jersey retirement ceremony. 
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The Panthers inked defenseman John Ludvig to a three-year, entry-level contract. 
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The Cats have kept the hats flying this season. 
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Former Bowling Green standout Alec Rauhauser is taking his talents to South Florida. 
-- Stanley C. Panther has got some great activities to keep fans occupied at home.
Tweet from @StanleyCPanther: #StanleyActivityBook continues with a coloring sheet of me and my #BFF #viktoreratt🐭. @BrowardHealth @Ford pic.twitter.com/lQjYhky5I1
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There was no shortage of amazing goals scored by the Panthers this season. 
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Check out BB&T Center's official COVID-19 Guide. 
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Find treasures from Florida's past in the Panthers Virtual Vault, presented by Baptist Health.